


A Change of Pace

by moststeph



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Academy Era, First Kiss, Fluff, Homophobia, M/M, Role Reversal, Slurs, ish, jim takes care of bones instead, slurs tw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-18 20:07:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20197426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moststeph/pseuds/moststeph
Summary: Usually it's Bones taking care of Jim after a fight. This time Bones is the one with a bloody nose and black eye. It leads to some interesting things.





	A Change of Pace

"Well this is a change of pace," Jim noted as he and Bones staggered through the door of Leonard's apartment. He flipped the switch by the door, illuminating the small studio apartment.

"Am I always this heavy? Damn." He guided Bones to the worn brown couch, gently settling him down and extracting himself from Len's arm where it hung over his shoulders.

"Yes," Bones said. He reached up and pulled the napkins out of his nose, feeling carefully at his nostrils to make sure the bleeding had stopped. "And you're also usually a lot drunker than I am right now, you pain in the ass." 

"Hey, hey, is that any way to talk to your best friend?"

"It is when he's Jim Kirk." 

Jim stood back with his hands on his hips and surveyed the damage. The bloody nose had stopped dripping but it was still red and angry. There were scratches above Len's left eyebrow, and his right eye was swollen and rapidly turning purple. There was blood on his dark blue shirt - they should get water on that or it would stain, Jim thought absently. His eyes went to Bones' hands - the knuckles were bruised, and would hurt like hell for a while. It shook Jim more than he cared to admit to see the usually capable and sure hands damaged.

He bent forward to prod gently at Leonard's nose. Len smacked at his hand.

"That hurts, you bastard!"

"I'm trying to see if it's broken!"

"It's not."

"How do you know?"

Bones gave Jim a look. 

"I'm a doctor. I know if a nose is broken or not."

Jim rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I won't touch it. I'm gonna get ice for that eye though." Jim strode into Leonard's kitchen, grabbing the ice pack from its usual place in the freezer. The semi-darkness and the quiet hum of the kitchen appliances slightly soothed his jumping nerves. He could still feel the adrenaline from the fight in his veins. He crossed back to Bones, who was gingerly pressing at his eye.

"Bones you idiot, why did you swing at him? You've been in like two fights in your entire life." Jim sat on the coffee table so he and Len were facing each other. 

"I'll have you know I've been in three," Bones returned. "And he called you a fag, Jim. I wasn't gonna let that go."

Jim pressed the ice pack to Len's eye socket. Bones hissed slightly at the contact. He looked up and one hazel eye found Jim's blue ones. 

"I can take care of myself," Jim said.

"I know, kid."

"Besides," Jim continued, "I am a fucking fag. So who cares?" He smiled at Leonard but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Len glared at him with half of his bruised face. 

"Don't bullshit me, Jim. It's not like when you use it yourself and you damn well know it. It hits different."

Jim let the disingenuous smile slide from his face.

"Yeah," he admitted quietly. He sounded more tired than Len had ever heard. Jim leaned forward hesitantly, and pressed his lips to Leonard's forehead for a moment. Then he backed up and quickly turned his gaze to the floor.

"Thanks, Bones," he murmured. 

Leonard studied Jim's face as Jim deliberately looked away from him. Bones knew Jim would never admit it, but nights like this one hurt him. He'd built the facade carefully, but Len knew inside Jim was still a scared twelve year old who thought he wasn't worth anyone's time or effort. 

“Why did you do it? Really.” Jim asked, turning back to Leonard. Bones sighed and ran a hand delicately over his bruised face. 

“I just...couldn’t watch you take any more,” Len said, the whiskey he’d had earlier bringing honesty out. “You’ve taken enough in life, kid. Watching that guy get in your face and spit that word at you…” Len clenched his fist and exhaled sharply through his nose. 

“I can take a few punches. God knows I owe you them,” he said. He smiled ruefully at Jim. “You brought me back from the brink that first year in the Academy. Least I can do is have your back.”

Jim was staring at him with an intensity and a look he couldn’t place. Uncomfortable, and worrying he’d said too much, Bones looked at the floor.

And then Jim surged forward and kissed him.

After a moment of shock, Len closed his eyes and there was nothing but this - the press of Jim's lips against his, the sound of Jim inhaling through his nose, the metallic smell of blood mixed with cologne on his shirt. Jim pulled back suddenly and Len chased his lips.

“Sorry, I -- sorry,” Jim started. 

“For _what?_” Bones asked incredulously, and wrapped a hand around Jim’s neck to pull him in again. Jim pressed his tongue against Leonard's lips and Bones opened to him, a quiet groan in his throat as Jim's hands came to bracket his hips. They drank each other in, the kiss feeling unexpected and a long time coming all at once. 

Jim kissed him gently one more time, then sat back on the coffee table. He smiled at Len, and this time it looked like his real one. 

“So are you gonna kiss me every time I get beat up?” Len’s face was serious, but his tone was teasing. 

“Hm. Maybe,” Jim said, reaching out to run a gentle thumb over Len’s forehead. “I kind of like you roughed up.” 

“I’ll have to do it more often then,” Bones said, picking up the ice pack and putting it against his eye socket again. Jim looked at him thoughtfully.

“How long have you wanted to do it?"

Bones sighed. 

“Longer than I care to admit. Why?” 

“Well…why didn’t you?” 

“I didn’t want to complicate things,” Leonard admitted. “I was afraid it would mess up what we--” He was cut off as Jim leaned in to kiss him again. Bones responded enthusiastically, clutching at Jim’s shoulders as he slid his tongue in between Jim’s lips. Jim moaned and pushed his face against Len’s, making Len yelp and jerk back.

“Sorry! Sorry! I forgot,” Jim exclaimed, patting gently and ineffectually at the sides of Leonard’s face. “Sorry, you’re just really good at kissing.” Leonard laughed. 

“Be gentle with me, darlin,” he drawled, giving Jim a crooked grin. “It’s our first time.” 

Jim pulled him to his feet and pushed him firmly toward bed. “You’re such an idiot.”

**Author's Note:**

> Róisín, as always, is my darling ideas woman and brilliant editor. Read her fantastic writing at TheBiFromUNCLE


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